Cradle



E. u. LANG Sept. 30, 1958 CRADLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1956 United States Patent fiice Patented Sept. 30, 1958 CRADLE Ernest U. Lang, Niles, Mich., assignor to National-Stand- The present invention relates to an improved cradle for mounting'wire carrying spools in a wire twisting machine.

This cradle is mounted on a longitudinal pivot axis in the wire twisting machine so as to permit the wire drawn from the spools to be revolved about the pivot axis of the cradle in the wire twisting operation, as is well known.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved two-part cradle comprising a permanently mounted cradle section and a removable cradle section. The permanentlymountedcradle section remains more or less permanently in the wire twisting machine, whereas the removable cradle section supports the plurality of wire carrying spools, and is adapted tobe removed [from-the machine when the supply of wire on the spools has become depleted. Thereupon, another removable cradle Other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will appear from the following detail description :of two preferred embodiments thereof. In the accompanying drawings illustrating such embodiments:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of my improved cradle; i

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the removable cradle section separated from the permanently mounted cradle section; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view "taken approximately on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure l.

The cradle is designated -10 in its entirety, and comprises a rectangular frame '12 open .at top and bottom. This frame 12 consists of the aforementioned :perrnanently mounted section 12a and the removable section 12b. The permanently mounted "section 12a comprises a longitudinally extending sidebar '14:and two cross bars 16 and 18 rigidly joined to the ends of the side 'bar' -14 in the form of a three-sided framezstructures The removable frame section 12b :is in 'the form 'of a longitudinally extending side bar 20 which :is adapted to'be releasably joined to the free "ends'of the cross .bars 16, 18 to complete the fourth side of the rectangular cradle frame. Various .types' of readily releasable fastening-arrangements may be provided for securing the removable frame section 12b to the .permanently'mounted :frame section bearing full spools of wire is substituted for the removed cradle section supporting the depleted spools.

Another 'object of the invention is to provide a twopart cradle of the above general description wherein the wire carrying spools have cantilever mounting on the removable cradle section. This cantilever mounting is obtained by providing the removable cradle section with a plurality of spaced parallel spool spindles having their innerends anchored to the removable cradle section and having their outer ends projecting outwardly in free cantilever relation. The wire carrying spools arepermanently mounted in revolvable relation on these spindles, with the outer ends of the spools in free cantilever relation the same as the outer ends of the spool spindles. This cantilever mounting of the plurality of wirecarrying spools on the removable cradle section lends itself very readily to the perforance of re-reeling operations on a separate spooling machine wherein new supplies of wire -are reeled back upon the empty spools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twopart cradle of the above general description wherein the brake mechanism which exerts braking retardation on the unreeling of the spools is carried on the permanently mounted cradle section; and wherein there is also provided a readily connectable and disconnectable clutching arrangement between thebrake mechanism carried on the permanently mounted cradle section and the spools carried on the removable cradle section. Thus, in mounting a removable cradle section carrying a fresh set of newly wound spools, the operative clutching connection'between the free ends of these spools and the brake mechanism is readily established, and in removing this cradle-section after the supply of wire on these spools has been depleted,

the operative clutching connection between the spools and the brake mechanism is readily disconnected.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a'twopart cradle of the above general description wherein each wire carrying spool has a guide or idler rollerarranged in proximity thereto for guiding the wire leavingthe' spool;

and wherein these several guide or idler rollers are all carried on the permanently mountedsection of thelcradle.

bearing pintles, the latter construction being indicated by the pintles 32 and 34 projecting outwardly from the end cross bars 16, 18 substantially centrally of the cradle frame.

Mounted crosswise of'the cradle frame are the wire carrying spools 36, of which four are shown, .but it will be understood that there may be a greater or lesser number in the frame, as desired. These spools aremounted on spindles 38 which project out in cantilever mounting from one side of the removable frame bar 12b. "The mounting ends of these spindles are shown as being pro- .vided with flanges or shoulders 40 for abutment against the inner side of the removable frame bar 20, andpro- 'jecting from these flanges or shoulders are threaded shanks 42 which pass through holes 44 in the removable frame bar 20 and which receive nuts -46on their outer ends.

"spindles 38; and outer and'inner ballbearings t dmay be 'The spools 36 are permanentlymountedon the mounted between the spindles and spools, as desired.

Rotatably supported on the outer side of-the longitudinal side bar 14 of permanently mounted frame section 12a in axial alignment with each ofthespools '36 are brake drums 50 which exert braking retardation on the spools in the unreeling'of the wire therefrom. These brake drums are rotatably supported by bearing sleeves 52 which extend through the frame side bar 14 (Figure 4). Each bearing sleeve 52 is provided with an outer attaching flange 54 which is apertured to receive screws 56 that thread into tapped holes in the 'side bar "14. Mounted in each of these bearing sleeves 52 is-adouble row ball bearing 58 having its outer race 60 confined between an inwardly projectingflange '62 at the inner end of the bearing sleeve and aretainer ring"6'4 snappe'd into a groove -in the outer end of the bearing sleeve 52.

The inner race 66 of this bearing surrounds the hub 68 of the brake drum 50, and is confined between a shoulder 70 on the outer portion of the hub and a retainer ring 72 snapped into a groove in the inner end of the hub. A web 74 joins the hub 68 with the cylindrical drum portion of the brake drum 50, this cylindrical drum portion having lip flanges 51 projecting radially from its outer and inner ends.

Secured fast in the 'brake drum hub 68 is a shaft 76 which extends through the hub and bearing sleeve and mounts a driving disk 78 at its inner end in immediate proximity to the outer flange 37 of the associated spool 36. Secured by a rivet 80 at one point in the outer portion of the driving disk 78 is a spring dog 82, the riveted end of which enters a rectangular recess 84 in the disk which prevents the dog from. rotating around the axis of the rivet 80. The spring driving end of this dog 82 extends in a circumferential or tangential direction with respect to the rivet 80, and projects inwardly from the inner face of the driving disk 78 for reception in a driving recess 86 formed in the outer face of the spool flange 37. This spring dog has sufl'icient resiliency to permit its projecting end to ride in a flexed condition on the outer surface of the spool flange 37 when a newly wound bank of spools is inserted into the cradle, the spring dog riding upon the surface of its respective spool until the recess 86 registers therewith, whereupon the spring dog snaps into the recess.. In this manner, a very simple clutching arrangement is established between each spool and its respective brake drum, which is readily connectable and disconnectable.

Braking retardation is exerted on the several brake drums 50 by a single brake band 90 which is wound or coursed in serpentine fashion over and under the adjacent brake drums 50. One end of this brake band 90 is anchored to a fixed pin 92 projecting outwardly from the longitudinal side bar 14 of permanently mounted cradle section 12a. The other end of the brake 'band passes around a guide sheave 94 rotatably mounted on side bar 14, and thence has its end connected to one end of a tension spring 96. The other end of this tension spring is connected to a threaded adjusting stud or bolt 98 which passes freely through a hole in the frame cross bar 18 and carries an adjusting nut 100 screwing over its outer end. Thus, the tension of the spring 96 can be adjusted for varying the degree of braking pressure exerted by the brake band 90 on the plurality of brake drums 50. As indicated by the directional arrows in Figure 1, all of the spools 36 and brake drums 50 rotate in the same direction, from which it will be seen that the pull in the brake band 90 between adjacent brake drums is opposite so that the frictional load imposed on the brake band by the rotating drums is alternately opposed and thus equalized. That is to say, the brake band is alternately tensioned and compressed between adjacent brake drums, and thus the load imposed thereon is equalized and all brake drums are automatically tensioned and braked alike at all times. One embodiment of this braking arrangement is disclosed in the pending application of Orville M. Strohl, Serial No. 499,096, filed April 4, 1955, now abandoned.

Associated with each spool 36 is a guide or idler roller 104, these several guide rollers guiding the several wires w leaving the spools and all passing toward a common twisting point at one end of the reel. These several guide rollers 104 are all carried on the permanently mounted cradle section 12a, on spindles 106 which project in cantilever relation from the longitudinal side bar 14 of this cradle section. The inner ends of the spindles 106 are rigidly supported in brackets 108 which are bolted to one edge of the longitudinal frame bar 14.

It will be seen from the foregoing that my improved cradle greatly simplifies the operation of the replacing empty spools with full spools in a wire twisting machine,

and substantially reduces the handling time in the performance of this substituting operation. Each permanently mounted cradle section 12a is provided with two or more removable cradle sections 121), and while one of these removable cradle sections is in the wire twisting machine having wire drawn from its respective spools, the other removable cradle section is in the spooling machine having wire rewound upon each of the spools. The substitution of removable cradle sections 12b can be effected quickly and easily, largely because there is no need of dismounting, disconnecting or handling the 1 brake mechanism and the guide rollers 104.

While I have illustrated and described what I regard to be the preferred embodiments of my invention, nevertheless it will be understood that such are merely exemplary and that numerous modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a cradle frame, bearing means for pivotally supporting said cradle frame in said machine, said cradle frame comprising a first cradle section which is adapted to remain in said machine and a second cradle section which is readily removable from the machine, a wire holding spool supported in cantilever relation on said removable cradle section, and brake means on said cradle frame for exerting braking retardation on said wire holding spool.

2. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, .the combination of a cradle frame, bearing means for pivotally supporting said cradle frame in said machine, said cradle frame comprising a first cradle section which is adapted to remain in said machine, and a second cradle section which is readily removable from the machine, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section to said first cradle section, a plurality of wire carrying spools supported in cantilever relation on said removable cradle section, and brake mechanism carried by said first cradle section adapted to establish operative connection with the spools carried by said second cradle section.

3. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the' combination of a cradle frame, bearing means for pivotally supporting said cradle frame in said wire twisting machine, said cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which is adapted to remain in said machine, and a removable cradle section which is adapted to be removed from said machine, means for releasably securing said removable section to said permanently mounted section, a plurality of spools carried by said removable cradle section and adapted to contain wire used 'in the twisting operation, brake mechanism mounted on said permanently mounted cradle section, means for establishing releasable coupling connection between said brake mechanism and said spools, and guide rollers mounted on said permanently mounted cradle section for guiding the wire from said spools.

4. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a cradle frame, bearing means for pivotally supporting said cradle frame in said machine, said cradle frame comprising a permanently mount ed cradle section which is adapted to remain in said machine, and a removable cradle section which is readily removable from said permanently mounted section, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section to said permanently mounted cradle section, a plurality of wire holding spools supported in cantilever relation on said removable cradle section, said spools having wire confining flanges at their opposite ends, and a plurality of guide rollers mounted on said cradle frame on axes spaced from and parallel to the spool axes for guiding the wire peripherally from said spools between said wire confining flanges.

5. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said remrivable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, a plurality of brake drums rotatably supported by said permanently mounted cradle section, one for each of said spools, brake means engaging each of said brake drums, and readily releasable coupling means for coupling each of said brake drums to its respective spool.

6. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, a plurality of brake drums rotatably supported by said permanently mounted cradle section, one for each of said spools, brake means engaging each of said brake drums, readily releasable coupling means for coupling each of said brake drums to its respective spool, and guide rollers supported on said permanently mounted cradle section for guiding the wire as it leaves each of said spools.

7. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, a plurality of brake drums supported by said permanently mounted cradle section, one for each of said spools, a serpentine brake band wound over and under adjacent brake drums for exerting braking retardation thereon, and readily releasable coupling means for establishing coupling engagement between each of said brake drums and its associated spool.

8. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, a plurality of brake drums supported by said permanently mounted cradle section, one for each of said spools, readily releasable coupling means for coupling each of said brake drums to its respective spool, a serpentine brake band wound over and under adjacent brake drums for exerting braking retardation thereon, and spring means exerting endwise tension on said serpentine brake band.

9. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which re- 6 mains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools mounted on said spindles adapted to receive Wire, a plurality of brake drums supported by said permanently mounted cradle section, one for each of said spools, readily releasable coupling means for coupling each of said brake drums to its respective spool, a serpentine brake band wound over and under adjacent brake drums for exerting braking retardation thereon, spring means exerting endwise tension on said serpentine brake band, means for adjusting the tension of said spring means, and guide rollers supported on said permanently mounted cradle section for guiding the wire as it leaves each of said spools.

10. In a spool holding cradle for a wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the Wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from aisd removable cradle section, spools rotatably mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, shafts rotatably supported in said permanently mounted cradle section in alignment with said spools, clutch discs mounted on the inner ends of said shafts, resilient clutching means carried by said clutch discs adapted to effect clutching engagement between said clutch discs and said spools, brake drums mounted on the outer ends of said shafts, and brake means exerting braking retardation on said brake drums.

11. In a spool holding cradle for a Wire twisting machine, the combination of a two-part cradle frame comprising a permanently mounted cradle section which remains in the wire twisting machine and a removable cradle section adapted for ready removal therefrom, means for releasably securing said removable cradle section in the machine, a plurality of spindles projecting in cantilever from said removable cradle section, spools rotatably mounted on said spindles adapted to receive wire, shafts rotatably supported in said permanently mounted cradle section in alignment with said spools, clutch discs mounted on the inner ends of said shafts, resilient clutching means carried by said clutch discs adapted to effect clutching engagement between said clutch discs and said spools, brake drums mounted on the outer ends of said shafts, a serpentine brake band wound over and under adjacent brake drums for exerting braking retardation thereon, spring means exerting endwise tension on said serpentine brake band, brackets secured to said permanently mounted cradle section, spindles projecting from said brackets, and guide rollers rotatably supported on said latter spindles for guiding the wires as they leave each of said spools.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,824,356 Marcroft et al. Sept. 22, 1931 1,976,037 Rawlings Oct. 9, 1934 2,485,348 Arnason Oct. 18, 1949 

